Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (Breast Cancer post #3)

Biopsies revealed that I did indeed have breast cancer, in each breast. The lump that prompted me to go in and see a doctor was the little sister, treatable by hormone therapy.  The big sister, undetected by mammogram, ultrasound and hands, is another character. This one needs serious chemo to treat it, is much larger and has started to metastasize, or spread. Sad to say, my breasts are no longer like two young roes that are twins.

The most frightening part of the entire trial so far was coming up next - testing to see if my cancer had spread to any of my organs, including my brain and my bones. But this is also where it gets the most exciting. Yes, you know it - my saviour and friend Jesus shows up! If you don't know Him, or know what it is like to know that He is right there by your side, I beg you to search for Him. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him! (Hebrews 11:6) 

MRI's are funny things. First the operator tells me that if I move at all, it's okay, but we would need to stop the process and do it again another day. Then he asks if I wanted music and of course I did. In a pinch to choose quickly I chose Chris Rice Pandora radio. (Calming Christian music) While I'm thinking to myself that I'm thankful I'm not claustrophobic, the clicking begins.  It takes great concentration to try to hear the music. Just when you focus in on it, ever so slightly, a new and much louder click joins the first one. It actually made me chuckle. Then I remembered I couldn't move. Once settled in I was gobbled up by fear. I was there, after all, because cancer may have invaded my entire body. I started to breathe heavily, then again remembered I couldn't move.  This is where it gets good. Real good...

I knew that I knew that I knew that Jesus slipped right in there beside me. No one takes your breath away quite like Him. His very presence stills all fears and turns them into utter joy. His charity enveloped me. He didn't ask me to walk on the raging water with Him this time. Instead, in that moment, He calmed the storm. Just then the song "Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Phillips, Craig and Dean came on. (And I could hear it!) To get a better understanding of why I started to hyperventilate, here are the lyrics...

My faithful Father, Enduring Friend
Your tender mercy is like a river with no end
it overwhelms me covers my sin
each time I come into Your presence I stand in wonder once again

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
each day I fall on my knees
'cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

Oh patient Savior, You make me whole
You are the author and the healer of my soul
what can I give You Lord what can I say
I know there's no way to repay You only to offer You my praise

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
each day I fall on my knees
cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

It's deeper, It's wider, It's stronger, It's higher
It's deeper, It's wider, It's stronger, It's higher
than anything my eyes can see

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
each day I fall on my kness
cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

I deserve no such thing as this grace of God, yet he lavishes it on me when I need Him the most. There is no hiding place on this beautiful earth that He will not find me, and shower me with blessings untold. Not even an MRI. 

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, (Illustrated by Clement Hurd, and first published in 1942) was one of my favorite books to read to my children. It wasn't until many years later while reading Psalm 139, that I realized where Margaret got the story from - there is no new thing under the sun. And there is nowhere else I would rather be, than in the constant and continuous care of my heavenly Father. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me! 

"Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid 

thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too 

wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto 

it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither 

shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into 

heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, 

behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the 

morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 

sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy 

right hand shall hold me.                    Psalm 139: 5-10

Being Good Doesn't Get You to Heaven!

Saved by Grace But Judged by Works

It's His Party 

And You Can Bring Gifts 

If You Want To

The invitation to the party of a lifetime reaches your door. The person to whom this party is given is the most amazing and highly respected person you know. Everyone but everyone is invited. It's free; all you need is do is accept the invitation. You get there and see that only a handful of people showed up. Many of them are lined up in great anticipation to give the esteemed guest of honor their gifts that took them their entire existence to cumulate. "Wait!", you exclaim in panic, "I didn't know you could bring gifts!" Ouch. To make matters worse, you found out there was a gift registry.

The Bible tells us that there is nothing you need to do to get into Heaven other than to accept Jesus as your Savior. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Thinking that we have to do anything in addition to believing insults our Lord by telling Him that the cross wasn't enough.

That being said, this does not mean that we cannot do good works for Him. This is great news, as there is nothing we should want to do more than to honor our Savior. Conveniently, we don't even have to guess what He might like; His wish list is scattered throughout the pages of the New Testament. For each wish granted, our King will give us a crown.

1. The Incorruptible Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
This imperishable crown is given to believers who have answered and successfully completed a call from God, and in doing so have sacrificed the money, possessions and life style they could have had otherwise. The apostle Paul compared it to running an extraordinary race, only the rewards of winning this race are everlasting.
2. The Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. & Daniel 12:3) 

This crown is for God's soul winners, who have faithfully witnessed to others His saving grace. We may doubt our ability to do such a powerful thing, or think we have no time, but our God is omnipotent. He can bend time and events in our favor to fit opportunities for us to witness and work for Him if we allow Him to.
3. The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
This crown is for those who have lived a good and righteous life for God, and longed and loved for His return. They have lived 'right' by not only talking the talk, but walking the walk even when no one was looking. Only the good…get the crown of righteousness!
4. The Crown of Life (James 1:12 & Revelation 2:10)
Also known as the martyr's crown, this crown is given to those believers who endure trials, tribulations, and severe suffering, even unto death. This is the greatest act of bravery, courage and love that we could possibly show God our Father.
5. The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Also known as the pastor's crown, this crown is for all who serve and shepherd God's people. God did not make the Bible easy to understand, but he did place among his people those who have studied and grasped His Word. These teachers will be given the crown of glory!

So, will people be walking around with crowns in Heaven? Weren't we talking about gifts we could give to Him? In Revelation 4:10 it says that when we receive our crowns we will cast them before Him, professing to Him that He should receive the glory and honor and power, that He created all things, and that for His pleasure they were made. Yes, these are the gifts that we can give to our Jesus on Judgement Day!

One of the unexpected joys of adding the Bible to my repertoire is that so many of the songs I have been singing in church all my life now have more substance. I feel sorry for the person who sits in front of me the next time we sing "Crown Him with Many Crowns!" I get all pitchy when I sing too loud.

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, do some digging. One thing you won't get is bored!